1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the physical structure of gaming apparatus cabinets, especially gaming cabinet apparatus with player input panels and either large display screens or multiple display screens.
2. Background of the Art
This invention relates to cabinets or boxes for gaming machines such as video slot machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to gaming machines having a main display for presenting primary game play and a second display for either outcome information, advertising or game identification information, secondary game play, additional base game play information or for displaying any additional secondary information.
Gaming machines such as slot machines and video poker machines are extremely popular. Part of the reason for their popularity is the nearly endless variety of games that can be implemented on the gaming machine. “Secondary game events” have been provided as a variation on some gaming machines. As used herein, “primary game information” includes, for example, information about numerous stages of game play such as (1) a “currency in” stage in which the machine awaits a coin or bill insertion to initiate a play, (2) a “game play” stage in which the player has initiated a play (e.g., spinning reels on a slot machine), and (3) a “game result” stage in which a payout or no-payout event is registered. Other primary events include general gaming machine state changes such as malfunction (e.g., a tilt). As used herein “secondary game information” includes information about slot tournaments, progressive games, bonus schemes, and other incentives for maintaining a player's interest or to play in a particular manner. In one example, a progressive game allows jackpots to be pooled over multiple slot machines. At some location, the sum of the pooled jackpot (secondary information) is displayed to players and potential players.
The gaming cabinet also contains a player input panel which is placed below or between display surfaces, such as a button panels, ticket-in-ticket-out acceptor/printers, currency acceptors, player card or credit card readers, and the like.
Each of the primary game events results in displayed information, conventionally presented to the gaming machine user via a main display (e.g., the reels display in a slot machine or the video display systems in a video poker game). Some primary game information may also be displayed via light source regions that light up on the gaming machine glass when a particular primary game event occurs. The secondary information may also be displayed via such lighted regions on the gaming machine glass. Unfortunately, the potential of secondary games has been largely unrealized because the display vehicle for secondary game events (lights or sounds emanating from the gaming machine) greatly limits the attraction and sophistication of such games. Sometimes, as in the case of progressive slot games, the secondary information is presented in a large specially created display occupying significant space in a central location of the casino.
The internal configurations and cabinet structures have changed little over the years, even though many disclosures have provided claims of significant improvements and advancements. Cabinet structures presently in use are difficult to repair and opening of cabinets can damage elements inside and outside the cabinet box. The following U.S. Patent documents evidence many of the structures, uses and components devised for use in gaming cabinets for either mechanical reel slots or video gaming apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,842,156 (Alekhin) describes a public standalone information access tool, such as bidirectional video terminal/kiosk for receiving a variety of services and for information exchange. The kiosk is connected to a plurality of remotely located representatives/operators specializing in different services. The customer receives help and share documents with at least one operator. The kiosk provides people from small remote villages an opportunity to receive all services available in a large city.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,740,706 (Klein) describes a gaming machine has a flat panel display screen that is pivotable over a range of angles to allow the player to tilt the screen to directly face the player. The screen also can be pulled toward the player for maximum comfort. The screen has user interface controls, such as part of a touch screen. The screen contains one or more accelerometers for detecting movement of the screen. The player grips the screen with both hands to control the game via movement of the screen (e.g., shaking, tilting, pushing in, or pulling out) and the touching of the user interface controls. The screen may include a vibrator for providing tactile sensations to the player. The screen allows a player to completely control a game, including wagering and carrying out the game, without releasing the screen from the player's two-handed grip. A curved forward-facing front panel is shown.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20100120530 (Lesley) describes a gaming terminal that includes a gaming cabinet, at least one display, an adjustable playing area, and a player-input button. The at least one display is mounted to the gaming cabinet and configured to display a randomly selected outcome from a wagering game. The randomly selected outcome is selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager input from a player. The adjustable playing area is mounted to the gaming cabinet below the at least one display. The adjustable playing area is operable to translate linearly between a proximal position and a distal position, the proximal position being near the gaming cabinet and the distal position being away from the gaming cabinet. The player-input button is mounted in the adjustable playing area for receiving game play input from the player. A curved forward-facing front panel is shown.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20090264195 (Kompella) discloses methods for tailoring a gaming machine to a player. According to one method, a first gaming machine receives a player input via a player interface to tilt a display. The display pivots about a horizontal axis of the display in response to the player input from the player interface, and data related to the position of the display is saved. The data is then associated with a player identifier for future use on the first gaming machine or a gaming machine having a similar display configuration.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030060270 (Binkley) describes a gaming terminal that includes at least one articulating element. The articulating element may be a monitor that may be moved along one or more axes, either automatically or by a gamer. A flat panel display may be used as the monitor of such a gaming terminal to facilitate articulation thereof. Due to the use of a flat panel display, the gaming terminal may be relatively compact when compared with conventional gaming terminals. Further compactness of the gaming terminal may be achieved by omitting elements for receiving, retaining, and dispensing currency. The gaming terminal may be part of a gaming network, which may also include on or more of a network server and an automated cashier. Methods for adjusting an articulating element of the gaming terminal are disclosed, as are methods for using a cashless gaming system.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,715,058 (Pennington) discloses gaming machines that include two or more game presentation devices such as rotating reels, video display screens, touch screens, etc. One or more of these game presentation devices can be moved into and out of position with respect to other game presentation devices. This may allow, among other things, flexibility in presenting different types of games or different game features within a single game. The generic cabinet is disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 6A.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,397 (Dickinson) describes an improved gaming machine having a touch screen applied to an outer face of a CRT display and a limited number of push-button actuators. Either the touch screen or the push-button actuators can be used for controlling play as well as selecting one of several games that can be played on the machine. By using a touch screen on the video display device, the player of the game of the machine can use either the touch screen or the push-button actuators to change the playable game elements, such as discarding and drawing new cards when playing poker. The touch screen and associated electronics are arranged and programmed so that multiple touch fields are defined on the surface of the screen, which, by manually touching, can be used for playing games, such as keno, which require more actuators than there are push buttons on the machine. The touch fields on the touch screen are identified by generating appropriately located instruction images on the CRT display, which are visible through the transparent touch screen. The touch screen is directly applied; e.g. bonded, to the CRT screen. The patent describes a typical IGT gaming machine at the time of the invention which is broadly denoted by the numeral 10 and includes an outer housing 12 having a top door 14, central opening 16 and a bottom door 18. The housing is generally upright as shown in FIG. 1 and is adapted to be used to play a number of games, such as poker, blackjack and video slot machine. The machine includes a CRT display device 20 which is fitted with a touch screen 40, described in greater detail below. The housing further has a limited number; e.g. eight, push buttons 24. The touch screen is provided to enable play of games, such as keno, for example, which are not generally playable with the machine because keno needs many more push-button actuators that can be conveniently positioned on the machine. The top door 14 can be opened to allow entry to a space in the machine 10 for mounting the required equipment, such as electronic circuitry, of the machine. The central opening 16 carries the CRT display device 20 on which images of cards and/or other indicia of games playable on the machine are displayed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,884 (Hedrick) discloses a gaming machine that includes main and secondary displays. Hedrick U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,541 describes translucent monitor masks, substrate and apparatus for removable attachment to gaming device cabinet The secondary display is disposed apart from the primary display and is used for presenting primary, secondary, or even tertiary information. The main display is controlled electronically by a gaming machine controller, which main display presents the results of a play on the gaming machine. In the case of a slot machine, the main display may be the glass display through which the spinning reels of a game play are viewed. In a video poker gaming machine, the main display is usually a cathode ray tube (“CRT”) which displays a video game image to the player and other information directly associated with the game play. The secondary display may be provided at various locations on the gaming machine such as in a top glass portion of the gaming machine or a belly glass portion of the gaming machine, which belly glass portion is located below a main display portion of the gaming machine. The secondary display itself may be a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tube, a field emission display, a plasma display, a digital micromirror device (DMD), etc. The secondary display is mounted on a secondary display support. The secondary display support is attached to the gaming machine chassis by a hinge in order to move the secondary display for access to maintenance. The gaming apparatus is shown with a fully removable front frame over multiple CRT screens.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,014 (Stockdale) discloses a gaming machine with a plurality of “gaming peripherals,” each communicating with a master gaming controller via a standard peripheral interface such as the USB (Universal Serial Bus). Further, the gaming peripherals employ a standard peripheral controller and one or more specialized “peripheral devices” (e.g., the actual lights, bill validators, ticket printers, etc. that perform the specific functions of the gaming peripherals). Much of the hardware associated with the peripheral controller is identical from one gaming peripheral to the next. Only a portion of the peripheral controller hardware is specific to the different types of gaming peripherals. A cabinet locking construction is also shown.
machine comprising a first video-type display, a second video-type display and a controller. The second display is positioned adjacent the first display. A controller generates a unified image of a game of chance on the first and second displays. The unified image includes a first portion on the first display and a second portion on the second display. FIG. 1 shows the cabinet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,695 (Gauselmann) describes an apparatus for positioning of a symbol display device on the door element of a casing of a coin actuated entertainment automat. The symbol display device at the coin actuated automatic entertainment wherein the symbol display device is furnished as a television monitor or as a roller shaped circulating body. The symbol display device exhibits conventionally a fixed position on the front side with the disadvantage that a stray light free observation of the symbol display device is not possible for each user of the coin actuated entertainment automat. This disadvantage is to be removed with the construction according to the present invention. The symbol display device is disposed vertically shiftable on the front side of the casing of a coin actuated entertainment automat for obtaining a reflection free view position of the symbol display device. The display screen is attached to the outer frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,864 (McGahn) describes a gaming device which awards an initial award to a player, discloses to a player that a higher valued enticement award is available and selectable, and enables the player to selectively swap the initial award for an opportunity to select the enticement award. The game preferably discloses the value of the initial award and the enticement award. The game masks the enticement award in a pattern along with one or more masked consolation awards, the consolation awards having values less than the value of the initial award. The game reveals the awards using a secondary display having mechanical doors that open and close.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,764,573 (Johnson) describes a gaming machine including a first cabinet including a first display for displaying a first game or information for the gaming machine, a second cabinet including a second display for displaying a second game, and a third cabinet including an input device for playing the game, wherein an area of a top surface of the third cabinet is wider than an area of a bottom surface of the second cabinet or a bottom surface of the first cabinet.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,641,534 (Hashimoto) describes a gaming machine that includes a cabinet having a front opening, a front door, a display device, an input device and a controller. The front door is pivotably coupled to the cabinet via a hinge that is attached to a lateral end portion at a front face of the cabinet, and opens and closes the front opening. The display device is placed in the front face of the cabinet. The input device allows a player to perform operation related to the game. The front door has an operation table that projects forward from the cabinet. The input device is placed on the operation table. A cutout is arranged such that a side portion of the operation table closer to the hinge has a recess. Individual frames with screens are removed for access.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,616,982 (Greenberg) describes a gaming terminal for conducting a wagering game includes a main body having a cabinet door and a top box positioned above the main body. The cabinet door has a closed position and an open position. The top box includes a crown that is moveable from a first position that prohibits access to the top box to a second position that provides access to the top box. The gaming terminal further includes a latching assembly for securing and releasing the crown. The latching assembly is configured to release the crown in response to the cabinet door being in the open position so as to permit movement of the crown from the first position to the second position. The latching assembly is further configured to secure the crown in response to the crown being moved from the second position to the first position when the cabinet door is in the closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,016,683 (Cole) describes a gaming machine cabinet or housing constructed from a plurality of connected components. In one embodiment, the cabinet is assembled from base, side, top, back and door components or sections. The housing may have a basis configuration constructed from a base, sides, top, back and a first door. The housing may have a plurality of modified configurations constructed from various of the basic configuration components, such as the base, sides and back, and an extension and modified door. In accordance with the invention, the gaming machine housing may be manufactured in one location and then conveniently shipped in unassembled form to another location for assembly and use. The gaming machine housing may also be constructed in a variety of configurations utilizing a small number of components. The display screen is removed from the cabinet with the front panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,985,139 (Lind) describes a gaming machine having a cabinet defining an enclosure volume with a cabinet front opening. A main door is pivotally connected at its upper end to the cabinet so as to be pivotable with respect to the cabinet between a closed position and an open position. In the open position the lower end of the main door is pivoted upwardly and away from the cabinet to expose the enclosure volume in the main portion of the cabinet. A button panel or button panel and armrest structure is mounted at the lower end of the main door, and extends in a plane lying at an angle to the remainder of the main door so as to project outwardly from the cabinet when the main door is in the closed position. A lower door of the gaming machine has a lower end which is also pivotally connected to the cabinet so as to be pivotable with respect to the cabinet between a closed position and an open position. FIG. 1 shows a gaming machine 100 that also includes lower door 125 that pivots downwardly about pivot axis 126 to open. As will be described further below, doors 120 and 125 are configured so that a single latching mechanism associated with lower door 125 holds both doors in the closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,513,830 (Hajder) relates to gaming machine cabinets and to the use of extendable displays to allow viewing and operation of the video display with the game machine cabinet door open. Many gaming machines, in particular those with flat-panel displays, have the flat-panel display mounted in the gaming cabinet door itself. When the door is opened, the display is no longer visible to technicians as they work on the interior components of the gaming machine. To solve this problem, the video display is pivotally mounted in the cabinet door to allow the video display to be released and rotated into a position viewable by the technician with the gaming cabinet door open. The monitor remains on the door when opened.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,627,613 and 6,997,810 (Cole) describes various gaming machine features and a slant-top type gaming machine. In one embodiment, a cabinet has a play area between an upwardly extending console and a supporting base portion. The console has an opening. A display and bezel are movable mounted to the console, blocking the opening in one position and allowing access to the opening in another. A game controller in the cabinet is accessible through the opening. The controller is mounted on a movable platform, allowing the controller to be moved into alignment with the opening. A ticket printer is located in the cabinet and expels tickets into a coin tray. Access doors provide access to a storage area defined by the supporting base portion. Monitor remains on door when opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,914 (McKay) describes a slant top video gaming cabinet including a top cap assembly having a display panel on a surface facing pedestrian traffic which includes means for efficient changeover. The cabinet is formed from sheet metal and allows economy in fabrication. In addition, the geometry of the cabinet promotes access only within sequestered areas by authorized personnel so that various components of the cabinet can be addressed only by appropriate personnel. The monitor and buttons are left in the cabinet when the panel is raised.
All cited documents are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.